Without the Need
by bubblyblonde
Summary: Katniss discovers that she doesn't need Gale in her life and, with him out of the way, finds herself being drawn towards Peeta, who she's loved since they were little kids. Gale is determined to keep her and Peeta apart, no matter what he must do.


**Okay, this is my very first FanFiction EVER! So if it sucks, I'm sorry, but I hope you like it! Oh, and _theskyisn'tupthelightbulbsare_, thanks for finally getting me to write a FanFic, I hope you like it! Oh, and I don't, in any way, own The Hunger Games, but that would be pretty cool... **

"Katniss!" Gale shouted, "Are you even listening to me?" I blinked a few times, trying to get back to reality.

"Uh…yeah, I'm listening," I said, dazed. I had been thinking about my dad again, how the bush next to us had once served as a hiding spot for one of the bows my dad had made me. I swallowed, though there was no excess spit in my mouth, and tried to redirect my attention to Gale. He had been talking bad about the Capitol again, going on and on about how much he hated them. As much as I just _loved_ to listen to that, I wasn't able to pay much attention to him today.

"No you aren't," he sighed, rolling his eyes. "You're pretending to listen to me while you daydream about Peeta." My eyes shot to his and my breathing stopped. I'd had a crush on Peeta Mellark ever since I first saw him, and Gale was well aware of the fact. Every day after school when I'd meet up with Gale, I'd tell him all about Peeta and every little thing that went on between us. Nothing much ever happened, I was too shy to ever talk to him or approach him, but every now and then I'd see him look at me or direct a smile towards me. Every time he did I felt my heart flutter and my cheeks get hot. I guess after a while Gale got tired of hearing it.

"I was not," I said too defensively. Even if it was the truth, I knew Gale wasn't buying it.

"Whatever, Katniss," he sighed. After a few seconds of silence, he started again. "You know, if you love Peeta so much, why don't you go hang out with him? You can go bake cookies together or something." His words came out with a bitterness that made me look at his eyes, to see if he was as upset as he sounded. He was. I looked down at the ground, not sure what to say.

"Gale, I wasn't-"

"Just shut up Katniss, I don't wanna hear it," he cut me off, swiftly walking away afterwards, refusing to give me the chance to end the conversation. I pulled my eyebrows together. What was up with Gale? Sure, he had a bit of a temper, but the way he'd looked at me… The hatred in his eyes was so fierce, so strong, thinking about it made me cringe. Was he pissed off at me or Peeta? I mean, what did I do that could've upset him that much? I got up numbly and started towards my house, not sure what to do now. Prim was probably waiting for me to get home and my mother…well, she could probably care less, but I figured I might as well just go. The whole way there I could still hear Gale's voice, coated in anger and pain. I bit down hard on my bottom lip, trying to avoid thinking about it, but unable to help myself. My mind began to stray towards Peeta, and what it would be like hanging out with him. I'd never really tried socializing with him or anything, but how hard could it be? He had so many friends, he must've been easy to be with.

_Stop it_, I thought harshly to myself. _Is he all you can think about? Peeta, Peeta, Peeta. _I sighed and continued walking. I could see my house ahead and a little bit of happiness hit me. I knew Prim had been anticipating my return and was probably still waiting for me. This was confirmed when a shrill, "Katniss!" rang out. She ran over to me and gave me a hug. I gave her a squeeze and looked into her bright eyes. "Did you bring any food?" she asked, the patience in her voice tainted by her desperation for a meal. As much as I dreaded having to do it, I shook my head and pushed my lips together, watching as her smile dropped and her gaze lowered for a moment. "Oh," she said, trying her best not to show her disappointment.

"I'm sorry Prim, maybe tomorrow," I said, giving her shoulder a reassuring squeezing. She gave me a half-smile and took my hand, leading me inside.

"Yeah, maybe."


End file.
